A Haven
by WindowChild
Summary: After the conclusion of the final battle, Hermes escapes to Calypso's island. HermesCalypso.


A/N: The pairing was requested by pineconeface711; I hope you like it!

Hermes landed softly on Calypso's beach, his eyes passing swiftly over the place. It was nice, although not particularly to his taste. He could see why heroes liked it, though.

He stood for a moment, testing to see if she would notice his presence. He'd met her only thrice, and remembered her leaving a distinct impression. She was a titan, he remarked silently.

The reason for his visit was ambiguous. Olympus was drizzled with festivities, and he had wanted an escape. He'd lost a son, and being one of the more personable gods, it mattered to him. By human standards, it would have seemed to matter only a small bit, but a god's level of thought is dramatically different than a mortal's.

When he had seen Calypso's island, he had decided to pay a visit there. She was the sole inhabitant, as far as he knew, so it was bound to be quiet.

For some reason, he found that Calypso caught his attention a bit. She was not like others he had met; she was neither god nor mortal. There weren't the strings of dating a relative's child, nor of bringing a new half-blood into the world. If one were to use deductive reasoning, they would have realized that he found her titan heritage appealing. Like father like son.

He approached her flower garden then, trying to come up with a suitable reason for his visit. Being rather clever, even for a god, an ingenious idea struck him.

"Hello."

She gave a little jump, dropping her pitcher of water. Usually, visitors arrived on _her _terms. It took a moment, but realization slowly dawned. She clipped her lips together, a new light to her eyes. "Hello," she replied. She couldn't remember the last time a god had visited her, other than when Hephaestus helped to rescue Percy.

She was as beautiful as memories and rumors, Hermes decided. It didn't have the intoxicating effect of course, but his eyes gorged themselves with unprecedented ferocity. The gaze was mutual, although Calypso was also smirking.

"Welcome," she said at last.

He nodded his head, glancing around. "You've made a nice home for yourself here."

"Mmm. Thank you."

He wondered if her brisk exterior was specific to conversations with gods, or if she used it on everybody. He suspected the former.

"What – what brings you here?" He didn't miss the way she stepped closer. She was a head shorter, and her eyes had a seductive way of peering up at him. It made him want to meet them.

"I bring sad news."

"Oh?" 'Sad' was a relative term for Calypso, and she wondered why he would bother coming all the way to her. It wasn't as if the gods cared whether or not she remained informed.

"Your sister."

"Sister?" She long ago had forgotten about them, for the most part.

"Zoe Nightshade… the huntress."

Calypso smiled. Not at her sister's death, she couldn't have cared about that, but at his baffled expression. It was sweet, almost as if he found her confusing. She liked confusing people; it made her feel oddly powerful.

"Ah, her. Right, I knew about that."

"You did?"

Her smile widened. He sounded surprised, and she didn't think gods _ever_ were surprised.

"Yes, I'd heard." She waved a hand in the air. "But thank you for coming to tell me… that was considerate, seeing how I might have been in the dark for many years, if I hadn't already known." She gave him a look, wishing he would recoil like the mortals did.

Hermes stood, thinking about what else to say to her. He could have gone anywhere else in the world, he really could have. There was something peaceful about her island, though. No one would think to look for him; no disaster would think to find them there.

Somewhere amongst her theatrics and the cloud-ridden beach, lay a haven. It was paradise, in the most twisted sense. "The battle finished today."

"Mmm?" She saved her words, using sounds and motions where she could.

"Yes."

"In your favor, I assume."

Hermes nodded, suddenly relaxing. "Yeah, it did." He cleared his throat. "Camp Half Blood is making renovations. Adding cabins for the minor gods."

She threw her head back, laughing.

"What?" Hermes asked.

"I'm sorry," Calypso said, rubbing at her tearing eyes. She gave another chuckle. "Ironic though, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"The prophecy spoke of the end of the Olympians; but isn't that what this is?"

"What?" Hermes asked. "No, of course not. They deserve some recognition, I think." He knew he was one of the few who believed this.

"Perhaps," Calypso said, nodding. "But it used to be a place for demigods. It no longer will be."

"Technically it will," Hermes argued.

"Yes, but nobody cares about technicalities."

He would have made the point that _everyone _cares about technicalities, but decided not to bother. Calypso clearly was not the type to be deterred with the truth.

"Your son… wasn't he caught up in this?"

She seemed incredibly shrewd for somebody cut off from all reality.

"How –"

She waved her hand around again, swishing through the air. "I've heard."

"Yes," Hermes replied. "He was."

"Was?" She already knew, he could tell. Was he more obvious than he thought?"

"He died a hero," Hermes said, a touch of defensiveness edging through his voice. "He saved us all."

Calypso smiled again, and this time Hermes noticed the brightness of her teeth. "You must be proud."

It was an interesting perspective to take, and Hermes nodded slowly. "Yes… yes, I am proud."

"Good," Calypso said. "I'm sure he'd be happy."

It sounded like more than a toss off, and Hermes tilted his head to her. "How do you know?"

Calypso shook her head, looking almost scornful. "You gods, you need to realize that you make the same mistake over and over."

He continued to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

"All heroes are the same," Calypso replied. "Or very similar, at least. They want attention, just like their parents do." As if to prove her point, she turned back to her flowerbed.

Since Hermes lacked the temper of his relatives, he merely nodded. She could garden with him around; he didn't mind.

"Tell me something about yourself," Hermes said.

Calypso turned back around, biting at her lip. "I sing."

"You do," Hermes stated, nodding. He'd known that about her.

"You knew?" It was her turn to be surprised.

Hermes smiled, something almost sly about it. "There are many stories about you and –"

"Everything reaches the ears of Olympus," Calypso finished. She tucked a lock of her behind her hair ribbon, allowing her finger to linger there. Scientifically speaking, movement drew the eye to it. She knew that she received the most appreciation when one looked at her face.

"Yes." Few had the courage to interrupt a god, and it made Hermes all the more curious about Calypso. It was almost as if they were equals, which he appreciated. Unlike some other Olympians, he found the mortals had much to be envious of. They were complex but with freedom to behave as they wished. It was desirable, Hermes thought.

She glanced up then, eyes on the falling sun. "I'm going to have a berry pie I made earlier. Would you like to come?"

And once again, the visitor was on her terms. He was a god; it was his choice. He could accompany her, or move on his way. Her eyes were wide, their vibrant color spooling into the sunset's light.

"Yes, I would love to," he replied, softly. She extended her hand for him to take, and he did so without reluctance. He would act as he wanted with her, just as the mortals did. He would act as a hero; he would emulate his son.

In its way, it was lovely commemoration. The titan and the god. Perhaps it was never Luke's dream, but it could be his father's, in time.

It was not the new age that the prophecy had predicted, but it was a new age nonetheless. There was a dawn of new heroes, unlike those before them. Not mortal, not god, not titan. They would be a race all to themselves; they would trace the paths of the next great prophecy, and lead the Olympians to a new day.

A/N: For now this is a one-shot. If people want, I could _maybe_ extend it into a story about their child. I'm really against the idea of doing a "next great prophecy" fic, but we'll see….


End file.
